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Meet Becky Schneider. The photo below shows Becky with her 1923 Bacon & Day Classic Style Five String Silver Bell Ne Plus Ultra No.6 banjo and her newly acquired Reunion Blues 405-15-34 brown leather banjo gig bag. This is a story of a banjo and a labor of love.

Excerpts from George Gruhn “The Vintage Catalogue” Frets Magazine, February 1983:

“During the banjo boom of the 1920s, many musicians considered Bacon & Day to be the finest banjo maker of the time. Their instruments were prized for their exceptional volume and cutting power as well as for their beautiful craftsmanship. The vast majority if banjos produced during the 20’s and 30’s by Bacon & Day and other makers were 4-string tenors and plectrums suited to the Dixieland music of the time; yet company president Fred Bacon was a well known 5-string banjoist who played in the classical style that was popular at the turn of the century. Original 5-string Bacon & Day banjos are very rare, but their quality is unsurpassed”

“Of all the Bacon & Day banjos, the Ne Plus Ultra models are very scarce, probably due to their high prices. In the mid 1920s the style 6 cost $450.

To put this in perspective a loaf of bread was $0.09, a dozen eggs $0.44 and a Ford Model T was $290. So Bacon & Day’s lowest end banjo cost nearly twice what a new vehicle would cost.  A skilled workers weekly wages averaged about $30 per week in 1925.

Becky says she located this banjo some 37 years ago and when she first got it the banjo was unplayable and in very poor shape. She spent the next 32 years restoring this banjo herself! She took the time to learn the proper technique for the repairs and made sure she did the instrument right by not cutting corners or taking short cuts. The restoration was complete on December 9^th, 2007.

Now it was mentioned that this banjo is rare, how rare? Well Becky says, “In all the years I have followed and played the banjo, this is only the second example of this model that I have ever seen.” She goes on to say, “There was a third No.6 five string that was built as there are surviving pictures of it from the early twenties, however it has never surfaced and is not known to exist today.”

Being this rare you would think that after spending three decades restoring this instrument to like-new condition she wouldn’t play this one out. Not true! She says, “This instrument does not get hidden away and played only for “special gigs”, it gets taken to every gig”.

Becky takes a moment before every performance to explain this banjo’s history and isn’t shy about letting people get a closer look after a set. It’s all about the music and the rich history that these instruments have. In fact that’s how she met the man that sold her that fine leather bag in the photo.

Becky had an old funky hard case that didn’t fit this banjo very well at all. She didn’t like casing it in that hard shell but didn’t really have another good option as she wanted something lighter than a typical hard case but something that could still protect her invaluable instruments. When she saw the Reunion Blues leather gig bag she was initially skeptical. She went over the gig bag with a fine tooth comb and had this to say, “Thank you for engineering and manufacturing such a fine case. It is well designed and executed in build, being not only strong and well padded, but light for my shoulders. It is easy to carry and fits my banjo with allowance for adjustment of the center neck support, and the leather exterior is top choice being outfitted with good hardware chosen to last. It displays a high degree of skilled craftsmanship and quality control in your facilities as the appointments and details are flawless.”

You can’t ask for a better review than that, and we didn’t have to ask!

Becky also added a few thoughts that I want to share with you: “We are all stewards for these fine instruments for only a short period of time, and when properly cared for they will pass on through history bringing pleasure to all who are lucky enough to make music on them or hear them played. They, like a good home are only as good as the roof over its head, in this case literally its case! The case and vigilance we have caring for these historically significant instruments will allow them to pass on to other generations. For that I am happy that your Reunion (Blues) Case covers my special banjo.”

Well Becky I have to say that we are happy to have your special banjo covered by our case. Welcome to the Reunion Blues family!

Ken Partyka’s flawless, comforting saxophone is smooth as silk and has that throaty tone that sounds like a human voice. You can almost hear the reed preparing itself for each note. Pat Fleming’s guitar work shows off a mastery of scales and modes but his unique twists take you to wonderful places. Both guys can tear it up but have the necessary nuances of the experts. The backing of drums, bass and piano/keyboard create a base that is both a solid foundation and a soft bed. But, there is no fluff here. The band simply gets down and keeps your emotions heightened. Ken and Pat are backed up by the best supporting cast since The Dick Van Dyke Show. With Tom Vaitsas on keyboards, Curt Bley on bass and Rick Vitek on drums, this group has it all. The chemistry of the players is evident from the first notes. These guys know how to play together and they also know how to get out of each other’s way when appropriate. And the production is totally pro.

As well as the aforementioned Stan Getz , I have to believe that Ken studied and was influenced by John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Wayne Shorter and Cannonball Adderley on sax as well as more contemporary players like Houston Person and David Sanborn. Likewise, Pat seems to thoroughly know and understand Herb Ellis, Pat Martino and John Abercrombie on guitar and probably even copped some licks from John McLaughlin and Pat Metheny. In fact, my guess is that Ken and Pat have probably listened to everything jazz and soaked it in so they could pour it out.

The term “jazz” has come to cover a lot of ground including avant-garde and even music without form and structure. But, this release brings it back home with a clear cut return to what made jazz great in the first place: a chance for the instrumentalists to strut their stuff and keep the groove groovin’! So, shake and stir the martinis and pop open the bottles of champagne. This CD is one of the finer things in life. My associate Brett Paley took a listen. He is not a jazz guy but he was understandably blown away. His description: “This is a staggering work of immense proportions. It is so good it should be illegal!”

If you can imagine going into a club and hearing smoky, get down jazz sounds, this is what you want to hear. This music is very urban, the sophisticated soul of jazz: cool, smooth, sexy, mature, ripping. Even people who don’t think they like jazz will like The Many Faces. The music is irresistible. Jazz is alive and kicking and in good hands. That is, when it is in the hands of The New Standard Quintet. You can purchase the CD at www.newstandardlive.com or on iTunes. I did!

The new Reunion Blues RB Continental Midnight Black bass case is now available. One of many new Midnight Black RB Continental cases now coming on line.

This video will give you an up-close and personal look at one beautiful, tough, stylin’ case for ur pride and joy!

Let us know what you think!

The first is Every Kind of Blue by Tommy Bentz of Brickhouse Music in River Falls WI. More than ably backed by Bill Golden on drums, Clark Thaldorf on bass, the particularly impressive Seth Mulvihill on keyboards, the lovely Jen Burleigh Bentz on backing vocals and Kyle Bonderson on percussion, Tommy proves that he’s well versed in all forms of blues as these tunes are colored perfectly in various forms of funky, jazzy and rocky goodness. Settling into Tommy’s comfortable voice is like kicking back in your favorite old recliner and the angst of being on the road and away from family (a recurring theme) feels palpable. Tommy’s guitar tones range from soulfully sweet to razor ripping, the solos swagger and his slide playing especially stings! This is a sweet little slice of South of the (Canadian) border blues and I highly recommend it! You can visit www.tommybentz.com for more information.

Now on to my friend Jake Miller of Cascio Interstate Music in Milwaukee who presented me with his CD Genevieve by The Plainsmen. For some reason I assumed that Jake was in a jazz band so I popped in the CD and was surprised to discover that he tricked me into listening to an entire CD of both Country AND Western music! And I liked it!! A lot!!! It’s an outstanding release. (I later learned that Jake is in at least 5 bands one of which I’m sure is a jazz band!) This CD is chock full of sublimely beautiful country melodies and themes executed with exemplary musicianship. For more info please visit www.facebook.com/theplainsmen .

Who knew that Wisconsin was such a hotbed of Blues and Country? But these are two top notch releases from South of the (Canadian) Border that I can’t recommend strongly enough. Thanks and happy listening!

No stranger to the limelight, by age 21, Ricky was already considered a “recognized master” of bluegrass, one of America’s most demanding art forms, but his mandolin career took him in other directions, catapulting him to popularity and success in the mainstream of country music. His life’s path has taken him to various musical genres, from where it all began in bluegrass music, to striking out on new musical journeys, while still leaving his musical roots intact. It seems like Ricky Skaggs has been a Reunion Blues fan almost as long as he’s been around. It’s been a life full of music.
Founded in 1976, Reunion Blues has become known as the music industry’s premier gig bag and case company with over 70 models available for fretted, brass, woodwind, strings and percussion instruments. The products are available in Performance fabric, in Classic full-grain leather, and in a new leading-edge RB Continental series that is enjoying huge success in the industry. There’s even a selection of multiple instrument bags like double guitar and triple trumpet.

All Reunion Blues cases and bags feature a Limited Lifetime Warranty.

Like us on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/reunionblues

Visit http://www.reunionblues.com.

The year was 1985, the place was Loara High School behind the Orange Curtain in Anaheim California. It was a very exciting time for us outcasts of sunny Southern California. Punks, Mods, Skinheads (non-racist kind) and Rock-A-Billies roamed among tourists from far off elusive lands all to get a glimpse of the over-grown mouse on steroids over there at Disney Land … D-Land, as we liked to call it.

It was a melting pot of ideas and sounds that were cooking in Anaheim that year, and myself and a small group of like minded cats were about to start something new. A group of us “band geeks” that played in the marching band, who all happened to be into the Mod and Ska scene that hit the West Coast in the late 70ʼs and early 80ʼs decided to form a Ska band. The name of this early trendsetting Ska group was Applecore. Yeah I know, kinda lame. But after a number of performances at our school, other schools and a church, and after some personnel changes and additions … we voted on a name change, the winning name was No Doubt.

Thus a new era was to begin for us “band geeks” on that beautiful sunny So-Cal day. We started to play covers at every party we could, mainly in and around Orange County. From these parties, word got around concerning this new band of ours and the cute little blonde that fronted the band who would instigate the craziest mosh pits you would ever see. Yes, a Ska band playing music with the biggest mosh pits you could imagine, and creating cloud storms that could be seen from space! The parties started to get out of control, and no home could contain the crowds that would accompany the soon to be legendary band from Anaheim.

Next was Hollywood, and there was no stopping us at that point. Within no time, we owned Los Angeles. Every club and “hotspot” in LA wanted to have No Doubt on their stage, and we weren’t complaining. With our new found stardom, there came a desire to have killer gear and the right look, and letʼs face it … we needed to look cool, and walking around town with my ax in a traditional Trumpet case just wasn’t very cool looking.

I had started playing Trumpet in the 7th grade. By the time I started to attend high school, my wonderful mother had bought me a Bach Trumpet, which is the brand I still play, and am endorsed by today. I needed to transport that ax in style! I knew a Reunion Blues rep, who happened to have a brand new RB leather gig bag with him. He pulled that thing out of the box, the smell of freshly dyed leather and a look of class … man, I was sold! Needless to say, not only did that RB bag make me look good, but it was also a pivotal moment in my professional career as a Trumpet player … it was the first time, that I had felt as if I had finally made it! My first “gig bag”, are you kidding … I walked around like I owned the joint!

That was 25 years ago, I still have that same gig bag. The new leather smell is no longer present, but that bag is sexy as ever. Weathered with age and sublime … if that gig bag could talk, the stories would be worthy of an Oscar winning film. Trumpets come and go, but that same RB gig bag has been with me for years, and I have never had a problem with it … BUILT TO LAST BABY!

So the rest is history, concerning the band I co-founded. I am very proud of them, and the sound that I helped develop. Both will be around for a long time … and so will that Reunion Blues gig bag I bought 25 years ago. My oldest son plays the Trumpet, and he will soon have that gig bag that has protected my weapon of choice for so many years. I wonder … what stories of his, will that bag tell … if it could talk …

When I was around 10 or 11 years old I made a trip to the local record store (remember those?) with my family knowing that that I wanted to expand my music horizons with “cool” music. I had to buy the record myself so instead of CD section I headed straight for the tapes (remember those ) I picked up Nirvana’s Nevermind and Metallica’s ReLoad because they were “cool” but not too “cool” for my own good (it was the late 90′s). With both tapes in hand I went up to my older brother, stuck them in his face and said, “Which one should I get?” His exact words were, “Get Metallica, everyone has Nirvana.” Those are the words that changed my life forever.

I took the tape home and couldn’t stop listening to it. It spawned my love for Metallica (I started playing guitar because of Kirk Hammett) which opened my eyes to heavy metal and hard rock music which shaped my junior high and high school years. Diving deeper into the origins of hard rock led me to blues music which led me to early country and bluegrass.

I tend to have a little ADD when it comes to music and can never stay on one type of music very long. Maybe that helped me explore and like many different genres of music along the way. However, I consider that one fateful conversation with my older brother to be the beginning of my musical journey that has and will always effect my life for the better.

Where did your music journey begin? Who turned you on to the wonders music had to offer?

Reunion Blues is proud to have him as part of the family and even more proud that he uses our gig bags to protect his instruments.

Check out Justin Meldal-Johnsons artist page here.

Click here for Buddy Guy’s bio page with videos!

John Maher (Marketing Dir.) & Buddy Guy with his Reunion Blue Guitar Bag